Local author Marc Acito has penned a play for Artists Rep about a suburban household that takes in a homeless pagan girl for the holidays. Tonight is opening night which means there is free wine which means I will be there; while the premise sounds iffy, Marc is a funny writer and a generous performer, so I'm cautiously optimistic about the show.

While sucking down free wine with a few other local critics last night, Coho's The Receptionist kept coming up as the only real "must see" running in town right now. Tonight and tomorrow are your last chances to catch it.

It's also your last chance to heckle Mercury Food Editor Patrick Coleman in his role as a hapless slacker in Action/Adventure's Fall of the House. He's acting, people. Totally acting.

New company Portland Playhouse presents Gina Gionfriddo's After Ashley. The script is heavyhanded and ultimately uninsightful, but the company does a nice job with it--I was impressed more than anything with how intimate and energetic this production was.

R. Buckminster Fuller: THE HISTORY (and Mystery) OF THE UNIVERSE is still on at PCS. Go see it. You'll like it. And if you don't, write me a mean letter about what a hack I am, and maybe you'll win Letter of the Week.

You can now buy a Fertile Ground button, which at $9 gets you a discount on any festival show you want to see, as well as deals at participating restaurants. If Fertile Ground isn't on your radar already, it should be: It's a citywide festival of all-new works, produced by a cross-section of companies including PCS, Action/Adventure (presenting season 4 of Fall of the House), Artists Rep, Key Productions, and so on. Plus I hear that "I Am Fertile Ground" undies are in the works, which is just so... hilarious. Like boobytrapping your crotch.

More listings here. Have a good weekend everybody. And, oh yeah! Happy Cat Friday, courtesy of Blogtown reader Kara's cat Bunz.

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